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Future-Studio-9380 t1_j270bxc wrote

That should be standard just as a general public health measure to know what is flowing into the country and not just for covid

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publicbigguns t1_j27xkj9 wrote

Yeah, it would be a pretty easy way to test for lots of different things at once

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Bifferer t1_j28rcbl wrote

Be ready for them to look for the presence of drugs.

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InternationalCut2610 t1_j28ylem wrote

That would be a good idea to identify trends. It's not like they can identify the individual responsible.

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sudoku7 t1_j293rup wrote

Depending on how many segments on your trip they could.

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Future-Studio-9380 t1_j2adnaw wrote

It is theoretically possible but goddamn there is so much reasonable doubt that would be created that you could fly a planet through it and you would have to test all flights and not just random samples and the drug probably has to be uncommon and you would have to personally drug test anyway in the end.

But yes, you could in very very unlikely circumstances if you already know who is positive for a rarely used drug find if they were on multiple flights w/drugs in their system.

I'll give a charity upvote for you though because it is theoretically possible still.

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sudoku7 t1_j2aftv4 wrote

It may just be my cynicism wrt the US justice system that it's possible enough to be used to justify harassment of someone the police 'know' to be guilty.

But I guess to be fair on that, all they need to do is look at you and decide they smelled some grass to have probable cause.

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mces97 t1_j2a9vrg wrote

There's already the presence of drugs in wastewater.

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KerPop42 t1_j26zbtw wrote

Oh, that's actually a pretty good metric. We should also be testing city wastewater

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OptimusSublime t1_j2717r8 wrote

They do test city wastewater. That's how we have a general ballpark of how widespread certain viruses are.

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sawyouoverthere t1_j27d6r2 wrote

Many places do. You may have seen it discussed recently around the polio cases in NYC and London (iirc on locations).

It's a really good way to get an overview of what is circulating in the population, without needing personal identifiers or individual collectons, and gives a bit of advance indication, since many diseases begin to show up in wastewater before they appear in drs offices etc where they are documented.

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michimac t1_j29300z wrote

Our wastewater system was one of the earliest systems to have covid testing. We get weekly reports of detected levels.

There are some HUGE problems with using these numbers to make predictions. For example, every system has a different level of groundwater infiltration. This dilutes the waste stream and will result in lower numbers when compared similar systems with less infiltration. Another issue is the length of time the wastewater spends traveling through the system. This varies wildly from system to system.

Wastewater covid testing, at this point, is nothing more than pure research. It is interesting data, and will be valuable some day, but for now, the value is very limited.

Testing on an airline is a far more controlled setting and values are more easily compared to each other.

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Valuable-Island3015 t1_j27ch2t wrote

Why not just stop flights from China?

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OmegaRainicorn t1_j27i81b wrote

We need to get Southwest on this Pronto!

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enjoytheshow t1_j28ejxk wrote

Unfortunately they only tank domestic travel and some limited Caribbean destinations.

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ModishShrink t1_j29ao60 wrote

Well let's hook them up with China, you know how much they love tanks.

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Skellum t1_j27kykz wrote

Because not everyone in china is sick. Because you have people returning from being a student, government workers, spies, etc who all do need to come back who dont have the 'rona.

I do think a post flight mandatory quarantine period would make sense though.

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Neoxyte t1_j296fdp wrote

Aren't like 50% of them testing positive though?

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Skellum t1_j29wbc7 wrote

50% on a flight, there may be every other flight had 1-2% and a different flight 98% so far all I've seen is "One flight to Italy had a 50% test rate" and while yea, 50% is massive and I doubt anyone coming off ere isn't infected after spending 10ish hours in a metal tube with them.

Given all I know is "One plane had a 50% infection rate" and I dont know how many planes there have been or the infection rate on those I know that I know jack shit right now about how much is coming out of china.

I do think the steps the US is taking are very good ideas, I am surprised europe isn't doing the same.

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sjfiuauqadfj t1_j27u8t9 wrote

unlike january 2020, covid is everywhere now, stopping flights from china wont stop covid from spreading around, covid is here to stay. so that begs the question why stop flights from china?

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ogipogo t1_j28upi1 wrote

Slowing the spread was always the point because stopping it was always impossible.

Let me ask you the same question, what is the benefit of allowing flights from China?

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Levonorgestrelfairy1 t1_j272p9f wrote

I feel like the US is going to get hit again.

I was quadvaxed. Never had covid before, and got it for the first time a few days ago

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[deleted] t1_j27kwgl wrote

[deleted]

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sjfiuauqadfj t1_j27uk9g wrote

i mean, i hate to sound like a defeatist but china gave up on their zero covid policy because there are limits to what a totalitarian government can do. what covid protocols do you expect from a democratic government where a solid 35% of people will flaunt the bare minimum? if youre vaxxed you have an extremely low chance of death, and thats good enough for most people

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enjoytheshow t1_j28ez1m wrote

I’ve gotten like 5 shots at this point and I caught it. I don’t know what else i am supposed to do so I just live my life. Reddit is stuck in this fairy tale land where we can shut the world down with no consequences.

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Moasseman t1_j28qc1n wrote

Vaccines aren't there to completely stop you from catching it, they're there to drastically reduce the odds of you dying if you do catch it

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Findinganewnormal t1_j29f03e wrote

There’s still a whole lot of space between shutting down and living like it’s 2019. If people would just wear a damn mask if feeling under the weather that would be amazing. Half my office got covid the week before Christmas because people would come in and hack up a lung for 9 hours at their desk and then mysteriously the people around them would start coughing into the air the next day.

With that, can we incentivize work from home for the industries that can do that? It’ll reduce spread in offices and even in schools if we let parents who can WFH stay home with sick kids rather than send them in to school. And while it feels unfair to those who can’t WFH, it’s still a net benefit since their kids will get exposed to fewer germs.

Also, and I know I’m dreaming here, requiring retail and restaurants to have paid sick leave rather than forcing their workers to come in sick.

That’s just the start, along with longer-term stuff like better air filtration in public spaces, better preventative health, alternatives for parents with sick kids, and more. But honestly if we could just normalize masking when not feeling great, that would have a huge impact on transmission.

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Bifferer t1_j28rsta wrote

…but you survived. Many in China don’t trust the government because of past BS so they don’t trust Chinese vaccines. Add to that the preference for herbal remedies, particularly among the elderly, and you have all the ingredients for a perfect tragedy. Compound that with far less ICU beds on a per capita basis.

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Crowjayne t1_j29eyen wrote

This is silly. I understand being exhausted by the reality but there's plenty you can still do. Are COVID numbers rising in your area? Maybe don't go to indoor restaurants for a bit or other crowded indoor places. Wear a mask when indoors. Etc. We can continue to make adjustments to make reinvention and spread less likely but people just don't want to.

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mmmegan6 t1_j2986o9 wrote

Three THOUSAND people are dying to Covid in the US every week. You missed a zero.

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WirelessBCupSupport t1_j294vcp wrote

What is more important is that over 70% got one shot and that almost 70% are fully vax. The thing that is not talked about is only 33% are fully boosted and THAT needs to be over 70% to be endemic.

Vaccination will help prevent spread or minimize the effect of the SARS. But immune systems will handle what it can.

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Necromonicus t1_j28owxs wrote

The shots are about not dying or getting seriously ill from covid. And they still do a good job at that.

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DarkSideMoon t1_j27qenw wrote

I’m double vaxxed and boosted, I’ve caught covid 3 times since May of this year. Fucking ridiculous. I’m not taking active precautions but I also don’t spend a ton of time in big gatherings either.

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CyberneticSaturn t1_j2d8g5h wrote

If you aren’t immunocompromised it sounds like a diet issue. Get a multivitamin.

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[deleted] t1_j27w2p6 wrote

[removed]

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Blazerer t1_j27ygzp wrote

Keep in mind vaccinations are not just to prevent an infection, but also to lessen the infection should you get it.

The overwhelming majority of hospitalizations is unvaccinated people.

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octatone t1_j28b87h wrote

That's not the only point of a vaccine. It helps manage symptoms when you do catch it. Keeps you out of the hospital.

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Skellum t1_j27l46k wrote

> I feel like the US is going to get hit again.

The US has the 'rona right now. Avoid chinese tourist groups and you severely limit your exposure from them, that and they all have to show proof of testing negative before boarding a plane anyway.

"Get Hit" is pretty absurd and far out statement wise. We should have mandatory post flight quarantine periods though.

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iNec01 t1_j282acj wrote

I know people from China and they all got the virus right now. They said it can’t be the Omicron variant, it’s stronger. It’s going to be 2020 all over again if it spreads, and the vaccines we have now might or might not work well with whatever variant they have there

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Nickthegreek28 t1_j28uqr9 wrote

In all fairness I wouldn’t take anything I heard from china seriously. Their handling and understanding of covid has been a disaster

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iNec01 t1_j2aav44 wrote

I don’t listen to things coming from China. I listen to things coming from relatives who are living in China, and know how bad things are there. The gov lies about everything. If someone died from Covid, the gov reported they died from something else. We call our relatives each night since they caught the virus. People can downvote me all they want, but if whatever variant they have there hits the US and the vaccines are not effective against it, it will be 2020 all over again.

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pickleer t1_j272zrv wrote

That is most certainly NOT going to provide us with the reaction time we need!

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sjfiuauqadfj t1_j27u2t9 wrote

i mean, didnt america kinda just give up on covid protocols? if youre vaxxed, youre good, if you arent, youre fucked. who cares if chinese travelers have covid, aint like america is free from covid lol

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pickleer t1_j27vkt1 wrote

I can't tell if yo're joking or just representing jackassery. How many vaccinated people do you know that have been re-infected? America thinks it's out of the fire and nobody is wearing masks. Someone, just one person, from someplace ELSE where the covid trump virus strains are different will spread a new contagion that our immune systems ain't used to. A new variant, a new sub variant, it doesn't matter- most Americans are treating this like a done deal and so will be caught offguard and with their masks down.

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sjfiuauqadfj t1_j27w24c wrote

thats kinda my point lol. unless you live in a cabin in the woods completely isolated from society, you cant escape covid, so worrying about some covid infected travelers is a moot point because you would have to worry about everyone everywhere as thats where covid is

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pickleer t1_j27ye4a wrote

Please look up Measles vs Measles outbreaks vs Measles vaccination numbers and why we have multiple versions of the Flu vaccine each year. I get your point but what the average American deals with AIN'T the same as what's coming out of China right now. Whether or not you believe in teh Butterfly Effect, doesn't mean that something growing, incubating and changing, on the other side of the globe doesn't affect us is asinine!

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[deleted] t1_j27wc2w wrote

[removed]

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pickleer t1_j27y21x wrote

If you're linking Fauci to an either/or approach for either, then I'm gonna have to dismiss your argument as partisan and against the greater Human good. I detest how fucked up the initial months of response confused and paved the road for confusion but Science and Medicine are bigger and better things than fucking politics and local jingoism, so I'm always gonna be a proponent of masks AND vaccines. Now, having said that, humans are gonna kill ourselves. And there are too goddamn many of us for the planet to support in the meantime, so anyone who eschews masks or vaccines, knowing you fuck yourselves and your neighbors, I applaud your heroic efforts!! Bravo, count more supernumerary humans off the lopsided list and keep up the good work! You are working for a brighter future!

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meatierologee t1_j28gceo wrote

Partisan? You literally just called it the trump virus. Self awareness...

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pickleer t1_j2arsaa wrote

Yes, I am totally partisan against that guy that demonized Fauci and a scientific approach to dealing with a problem he couldn't hack. The joker had no business being president and continues to mislead people to this day.

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Aurion7 t1_j27j629 wrote

Just have them all book via Southwest.

Tired joke aside, hey, it works for polio. Notably.

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_Mister_Shake_ t1_j28e777 wrote

Am I taking paxlovid for my Covid infection - despite being double vaxxed and double boosted - or are these crazy pills? Didn’t we already go through this shit with goddamn infected people coming over in droves from China? Just ban travelers from China altogether.

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hhhdies t1_j2anife wrote

Considers?! CONSIDERS?!

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shaunomegane t1_j27lz3m wrote

Quite crafty really...

They could install Covid testers in airplane toilets, and if someone tests positive, shhtup... They get jettisoned like a James Bond movie.

I mean, people have to pee, how better to test them than without their knowledge?

This could really take off.

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Grow_away_420 t1_j28l2uy wrote

Wouldn't that occur after the plane lands, and all the passengers have already left?

We know its full of covid, what is this going to do about it?

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AcclaimedGroundhog t1_j2a2176 wrote

What's the point? You'd have to quarantine the entire plane.

Which we probably should do anyway.

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Phssthp0kThePak t1_j2ayas4 wrote

And California is still making us all test every week and report with a QR code just to go to work. The regulations make no sense. It's all theater.

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Even_Author_3046 t1_j29j9b6 wrote

So block travel unless proven you don’t have COVID-19

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[deleted] t1_j26t7tr wrote

[deleted]

−9

lightknightrr t1_j26xx89 wrote

Remind me, where is Covid surging right now? Ok, put down the bullhorn.

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Strificus t1_j26ym74 wrote

With the lack of testing, only countries taking the risk seriously can quantify it.

−1

not_gonna_lurk t1_j278ob9 wrote

Uhhhh, does anyone else think people will get around this by not using the bathrooms/bagging up and throwing out/bringing waste off the plane to avoid detection?

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TrunksTheMighty t1_j27c2ra wrote

You think there's gonna be a coordinated effort between all infected passengers?

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not_gonna_lurk t1_j27wnq6 wrote

Maybe not all, but wouldn't it just be effective to test before and after flying?

−1

TrunksTheMighty t1_j28g6q1 wrote

One test of waste vs dozens of people, if waste tests positive we can send the plane back or get people off it into proper quarantine

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not_gonna_lurk t1_j29916m wrote

Truly curious, so if one person is sick and the waste water tests positive then everyone goes back/goes into quarantine?

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TrunksTheMighty t1_j2ayx87 wrote

That's how it works, if one person is infected it's likely everyone near them was infected, possibly that whole side of the plane or worse.

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Flbudskis t1_j27jugv wrote

So was Trump right how to handle covid and China? Im confused. This would be deemed racist 2 years ago.

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AttackOficcr t1_j27pvpp wrote

It was racist because Corona virus was already spreading in from Europe in New York.

That and Corona virus does not make exceptions based on citizenship or nationality. Unlike Trump's partial ban on some, but not all, Chinese flyers.

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